1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shower system and method for cleaning a screen surface of a screening apparatus.
2. Problem to be Solved
Conventional shower systems for cleaning screen surfaces have included fixed pipe systems, translating pipe systems, rotating pipe systems and systems that comprise a combination of the translating pipe system and rotating pipe system. Typically, in the aforementioned combination systems, a movement arm having a plurality of spray nozzles along the length thereof is reciprocated in a longitudinal direction and rotated axially. Such a system is shown in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,575 (the "'575 patent"). In the '575 patent, axial rotation is provided by a thrust created by liquid jets emanating from nozzles that are angled downward so as to produce the thrust. Such a system is inefficient because a substantial portion of the cleaning liquid is used to axially rotate the movement arm rather than clean the screen surface. Furthermore, the system disclosed in the '575 patent is bulky due to the utilization of components that are needed to effect axial rotation of the movement arm.
Bearing in mind the problems and efficiencies of conventional shower systems, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved shower system in which substantially all of the water distributed from the system is used to clean the screen surface of the screening apparatus.
It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved shower system which is smaller in size than conventional shower systems and can be manufactured at a reasonable cost.